1. Technical Field of the Present Invention
The present invention generally relates to integrated circuits, and more specifically, to integrated circuits that automatically initialize their operational settings according to the specific requirements of the system in which the integrated circuit is used.
2. Description of Related Art
Designers of integrated circuits are designing common system boards that support multiple versions of an integrated circuit where each version has a differing frequency, voltage, and/or heat dissipation requirement. This design allows a single common system board to be used in multiple product lines that are distinguished from one another based upon performance type criteria (e.g. cell phones).
Manufacturers of the integrated circuits for these systems often maintain multiple part numbers for the various integrated circuits that performed similar functionality but were manufactured using differing technologies. The manufacturing in differing technologies often allows increased functionality and operation of the integrated circuit at lower voltages and higher frequencies.
It would be a distinct advantage for the both the manufacturer and designer if there were an integrated circuit that would automatically initialize its operational settings according to the requirements of the system in which the integrated circuit is being used. The designer would avoid the complex and burdensome issues previously described in supporting these multiple versions and the manufacturer could eliminate the need for multiple part numbers and the like.